Belnome, Bulls snap 8-game skid, top Indy 6-3

The Herald-Sun | Bernard Thomas
Durham Bulls' Justin Christian (15), greets Vince Belnome (R) at the plate after scoring on Belnome 3rd inning, two-run, home run against the Indianapolis Indians.

The Herald-Sun | Bernard Thomas
Durham Bulls' Mike Fontenot (R) forces out Indianapolis Indians Chris McGuiness (19), at second base then turns the double play over to first base in the 4th inning.

DURHAM —

Vince Belnome and the Durham Bulls slugged their way out of an eight-game losing streak Wednesday.

Belnome was 3 for 4 with a home run and two doubles — his lone out with a fly ball to the warning track — as the Bulls defeated the Indianapolis Indians 6-3 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Curt Casali also homered and Jeremy Moore had a two-run double in his first game with the Bulls (44-37), who had lost eight straight for the first time since April 2012.

Nathan Karns (4-4) gave up three runs in six innings to record the win. He had allowed 13 earned runs in 5.2 innings in his last two starts, part of a staff-wide meltdown from the Bulls, who gave up 8.4 runs a game during the losing skid.

After Indianapolis (46-33) tied the game at 3 in the top of the sixth, the Bulls broke the game open with three runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Justin Christian led off the bottom half with a single and Belnome followed with a double. After leading hitter Mikie Mahtook struck out with runners on second and third, Wilson Betamit was intentionally walked to load the bases. Casali got the go-ahead RBI without swinging his bat by drawing a five-pitch walk, and Moore doubled down the rightfield line to add the insurance runs.

Moore was assigned to Durham from Double-A Montgomery on Tuesday after infielder Cole Figueroa was recalled by Tampa Bay. The 26-year-old outfielder hit .183/.246/.367 with six home runs in 38 games for Double-A Montgomery and has eight games of Major League experience with the 2011 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Two hitters not known for their power started the scoring. Casali homered over the Blue Monster in the second inning for his third home run of the season and his first since May 28 to give the Bulls the lead. Indianapolis shortstop Robert Andino answered in the next half-inning with a homer to the centerfield lawn, his second home run and first since May 20.

Belnome hit a 3-2 backdoor slider from Jake Brigham into the rightfield stands for a two-run homer in the third to put the Bulls up 3-1.

The Indians, who were 11-5 in their last 16 games, scored a single run in the fifth and sixth innings against Karns, who allowed six hits and struck out six, to tie the game momentarily. But Durham relievers Adam Liberatore (1.0 inning), Josh Lueke (1.1) and Jeff Beliveau (0.2) kept the Indians off the board to seal the win.

Catcher Nevin Ashley, who played with the Bulls from 2010-12, entered as a pinch hitter with one on and two outs in the ninth and grounded out to third against Beliveau, who earned his 10th save in 11 chances.

NOTES — Wednesday’s first pitch was delayed by 13 minutes because of the threat of rain. … RHP Alex Colome (3-1, 3.54) will be called up by the Tampa Bay Rays to start one game of a Friday doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles. RHP Merrill Kelly (6-1, 2.71) is expected to take Colome’s start with the Bulls … RHP Matt Andriese (6-4, 3.56), who is coming off his first loss in seven starts, will take the mound for the Bulls tonight at 7:05 p.m. against Indianapolis LHP Adam Wilk (6-5, 4.29). RHP Jeremy Hellickson (0-3, 10.80) is expected to start Friday’s series finale for Durham against LHP Casey Sadler (7-1, 2.34).